Ganesh Chaturthi 2027 date, puja time and visarjan dates

Ganesh Chaturthi 2027 falls on Saturday, 4 September, according to Hindu almanacs (panchangs), including Drik Panchang, and the Union government's restricted holiday list. The main puja is performed at midday; in Delhi, two panchangs give a window of about 11:04 AM to 12:25 PM.

The ten-day festival ends with the immersion of Ganesh idols on Anant Chaturdashi, Tuesday 14 September 2027.

Key points

• Ganesh Chaturthi 2027: Saturday 4 September.
• Chaturthi tithi: about 2:19 PM on 3 September to 12:26 PM on 4 September.
• Madhyahna (midday) puja in Delhi: about 11:04 AM to 12:25 PM; in Mumbai the window is later and longer.
• Anant Chaturdashi (final visarjan): Tuesday 14 September 2027.
• It is a restricted holiday for central government staff, and a public holiday in Maharashtra and several other states.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2027 date and time

Timings vary by city. Check a local panchang or your family priest before you plan the sthapana.

Why the puja is done at midday

According to tradition, Lord Ganesh was born at midday (madhyahna), so the main puja and the installation of the idol (Ganpati sthapana) are performed during the midday period on the Chaturthi of the bright half of the month of Bhadrapada.

There is also a tradition of not looking at the moon on the night of Ganesh Chaturthi. According to legend, the moon mocked Ganesh, who cursed it, and anyone who sees the moon that night risks being falsely accused. Many families avoid looking at the moon on the evening of 4 September, and children are reminded not to look up.

Ganesh visarjan 2027 dates

Families keep the idol at home for different lengths of time before immersion (visarjan). Based on a festival start on 4 September, the common immersion days in 2027 are:

The ten-day immersion on Anant Chaturdashi is when the big public pandals of Mumbai and Pune take their idols to the sea and rivers in huge processions that last through the night and into the next day.

A day in the life of the festival

Once Ganpati is installed at home, the days settle into a routine. The family performs aarti in the morning and evening, often singing the Marathi aarti "Sukhkarta Dukhharta", and offers fresh flowers, durva grass and a plate of sweets (naivedya). Friends and relatives visit for darshan, and many homes keep an open house through the festival.

In many Maharashtrian homes, the goddess Gauri (a form of Parvati, Ganesh's mother) is also welcomed for two or three days in the middle of the festival, with a separate puja and a large family meal. Public pandals hold cultural programmes, competitions and social campaigns on the theme they have chosen for the year.

The story of Ganesh

Ganesh, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is worshipped as the remover of obstacles and the god of new beginnings, which is why he is prayed to first at the start of any ceremony or new venture.

The best-known story says Parvati created Ganesh from sandalwood paste and asked him to guard her door. When Shiva, who did not know the boy, was stopped from entering, he cut off his head in anger. To console Parvati, Shiva replaced it with the head of an elephant and made Ganesh the leader of his attendants (ganas).

How Ganesh Chaturthi became a public festival

Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated mainly at home for centuries. In 1893, the freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak encouraged public celebrations in Pune, turning the festival into a way to bring people together across caste lines and against colonial rule. The public sarvajanik pandals that dominate Maharashtra today grew from that movement.

Where Ganesh Chaturthi is biggest

• Mumbai: Pandals such as Lalbaugcha Raja draw very long queues, and the Anant Chaturdashi processions to Girgaon Chowpatty and other beaches are among the largest public gatherings in India.
• Pune: The five traditional manache (honoured) Ganpatis, including Kasba Ganpati, lead the immersion procession.
• Hyderabad: The giant Khairatabad Ganesh idol is one of the tallest in the country.
• Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: Major celebrations at home and in public pandals, where it is often called Vinayaka Chaturthi.

Modak and festival food

The modak, a dumpling of rice flour filled with coconut and jaggery, is believed to be Ganesh's favourite food. Steamed ukadiche modak is the traditional Maharashtrian version, and 21 modaks are usually offered in the puja. Other offerings include laddoos, puran poli, karanji and kozhukattai in Tamil Nadu.

Eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi

Immersing idols made of Plaster of Paris and painted with chemical colours pollutes rivers, lakes and the sea. Pollution control boards and courts have issued guidelines over the years that discourage Plaster of Paris idols and promote clay (shadu) idols and natural colours, and many cities set up artificial ponds for immersion.

If you are bringing Ganpati home in 2027:

• Choose a clay idol with natural colours.
• Immerse it at home in a bucket or in an artificial pond provided by the municipality.
• Use flowers and natural decorations instead of thermocol and plastic.
• Give leftover flowers and offerings to the municipal collection points set up for nirmalya (offerings), rather than throwing them into water.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2027 for Indians abroad

Marathi, Telugu, Kannada and Konkani associations in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and the Gulf hold public Ganesh festivals, usually on the nearest weekend. Many use small clay idols and immerse them in water tanks on site, because immersion in public lakes and the sea is not allowed in most countries.

Planning for Ganesh Chaturthi 2027

• A weekend start: With Ganesh Chaturthi on a Saturday, many families can bring Ganpati home over the weekend of 4 and 5 September.
• Holidays: Ganesh Chaturthi is usually a public holiday in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and several other states, and a restricted holiday for central government staff. Check your state's 2027 list.
• Mumbai and Pune travel: Traffic diversions, especially on immersion days, are common. Follow traffic police advisories, and avoid driving on Anant Chaturdashi.
• Next festivals: Onam falls on Sunday 12 September 2027, and Navratri begins on 30 September. See our Navratri and Dussehra 2027 guide.

See every festival of the year in our full festival calendar for 2027.

Ganpati arrives on Saturday 4 September 2027 and leaves, to cries of "Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya" ("come back soon next year"), on 14 September.